page_title: Thoracic aortic aneurysm
section_title: Diagnosis
hierarchical_section_title: Thoracic aortic aneurysm / Diagnosis
caption_attribution_description: English: Segments of the aorta, including: Thoracic aorta Ascending aorta Tortic arch Descending thoracic aorta Abdominal aorta Suprarenal abdominal aorta Infrarenal abdominal aorta
context_page_description: A thoracic aortic aneurysm is an aortic aneurysm that presents primarily in the thorax.
  A thoracic aortic aneurysm is the "ballooning" of the upper aspect of the aorta, above the diaphragm. Untreated or unrecognized they can be fatal due to dissection or "popping" of the aneurysm leading to nearly instant death. Thoracic aneurysms are less common than an abdominal aortic aneurysm. However, a syphilitic aneurysm is more likely to be a thoracic aortic aneurysm than an abdominal aortic aneurysm. This condition is commonly treated via a specialized multidisciplinary approach with both vascular surgeons and cardiac surgeons.
context_section_description: Thoracic abdominal aneurysm is defined as a diameter exceeding the following cutoff:
  4.5 cm in the United States
  4.0 cm in South Korea
  A diameter of 3.5 cm is generally considered dilated. However, average values vary with age and size of the reference population, as well as different segments of the aorta.
caption: Aorta segments, with thoracic aorta in area marked in green.
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